Rate Ubuntu 12.04 LTS

By +Frank B.
in Linux

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109 members have voted

  1. 1. Rate Ubuntu 12.04 LTS


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Grand Master

threetonesun

Posted
Posted

The usability of Linux really depends on what you usually use your computer for. Yeah, if you're in adobe CS all day, or if you NEED access/ excel / word, or you NEED certain IDEs, then sure, Linux isn't going to cut it. For the average home user, though, it's not really lacking in anything these days, and in terms of free software, it's on par or better than OSX / Windows.

  • UncleSpellbinder
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UncleSpellbinder

Posted
Posted
...For the average home user, though, it's not really lacking in anything these days, and in terms of free software, it's on par or better than OSX / Windows.

Well said. I was dual booting Windows 7 and Ubuntu for years. Last week when installing 12.04, I wiped the drive. No more dual booting, no more Windows. In the past week of using the computer the same way I did with Windows, I've not had an issue. Documents, PDFs, Images, mp3/flac, AVI, MKV, MP4, WMV, updating apps to current - all no problem.

I'm really loving this version.

Grand Master

Syanide

Posted
Posted

I'm rating it because I wanted to give it a second chance, Tried it and did not fancy it. Am I not allowed to be entitled to an opinion?

Apologies, of course you can rate it, but your first post wasn't really clear on which version you tried. And god knows Linux users tend to appear in any DE/distro discussion to glorify the thing they're using despite the fact it has nothing to do with the discussion.

Grand Master

.Neo

Posted
Posted

The usability of Linux really depends on what you usually use your computer for. Yeah, if you're in adobe CS all day, or if you NEED access/ excel / word, or you NEED certain IDEs, then sure, Linux isn't going to cut it. For the average home user, though, it's not really lacking in anything these days, and in terms of free software, it's on par or better than OSX / Windows.

If you need anything more than the most basic of formatting options you're pretty much screwed on Ubuntu. My parents are by no means power users but even they ran into the limitations of LibreOffice pretty quickly. Especially Impress failed to impress miserably. They and myself use iWork now which does get the job done.

Grand Master

threetonesun

Posted
Posted

If you need anything more than the most basic of formatting options you're pretty much screwed on Ubuntu. My parents are by no means power users but even they ran into the limitations of LibreOffice pretty quickly. Especially Impress failed to impress miserably. They and myself use iWork now which does get the job done.

I'm not sure what you're point is. I find iWork to be incredibly frustrating for some of the formatting I do, but in the end it can spit out a reasonable approximation of what I want. Open Office is no different. I could do it in Google Docs if I wanted, and be able to run it on any platform. If there's really some intense formatting you want done, I'm pretty sure Ubuntu loads TeX by default.

If there's a specific feature you want, use the software that has it, and use the operating system that that software runs on. It's not rocket science. But unlike a few years ago, you could give someone Ubuntu and they'd be able to do everything they wanted. It's really only by comparison to OSX and Windows that it still seems to be "behind", although there are some features/programs that I prefer in Linux.

Grand Master

.Neo

Posted
Posted

I'm not sure what you're point is.

My point is that LibreOffice is extremely lacking in features which ruins the entire Linux experience for quite a few. Ubuntu has reached a point where it's actually usable for most, now it's time to focus more on the apps running on it. I'd say LibreOffice takes priority.

Apprentice

vron247

Posted
Posted

Just OK for really basic stuff like browsing, dowloading and watching movies, checking emails. Installing simple software still takes long minutes. Doesn't seem to use full system capabilities tearing and getting stuck sometimes. As usual Libreoffice is just for show.

Grand Master

Detection

Posted
Posted

It performs terrible on my netbook, to the point that it's unusable. So it gets a 3/10. This netbook runs Windows 7 perfect w/ Aero, so I see no reason it can't run Ubuntu.

Similar on my laptop, 2GB / X2 2GHz, runs 7 and 8 fine, runs linuxmint fine, Ubuntu lags like a dog

Mentor

Mr. Dee

Posted
Posted

I would say its much improved over past releases. Still it has nothing that will let me leave behind Windows 7, not to mention, customizing the interface is limited and networking is finicky. I also have a rich library of applications on Windows 7 I use and like better: Office 2010, Photoshop CS4, AutoCAD 2009 and I like Windows Live Essentials 2011 which do not have equivalent with the same quality on Ubuntu. There might be mediocre equivalents, but thats it, they are mediocre equivalents. I admire its effort to provide an alternative for those who want something different. It is not even about open source/freedom at this point, its more about choice. If you want an OS just for Internet and basic office productivity, it is likely option.

Grand Master

ichi

Posted
Posted

My point is that LibreOffice is extremely lacking in features which ruins the entire Linux experience for quite a few. Ubuntu has reached a point where it's actually usable for most, now it's time to focus more on the apps running on it. I'd say LibreOffice takes priority.

My only gripe with LibreOffice is that compatibility with MS Office documents is far from perfect. It might be good enough for certain use cases, but not when you use it to write documentation you'll latter handle to your customers.

Of course it probably also lacks several MS Office features, but I haven't missed anything I might have needed.

Then again, even though it'll be nice to have a native office suite I could use, running MS Office on Ubuntu gets the work done perfectly fine. I've been doing that for years.

Grand Master

Miuku.

Posted
Posted
I also have a rich library of applications on Windows 7 I use and like better: Office 2010, Photoshop CS4, AutoCAD 2009 and I like Windows Live Essentials 2011 which do not have equivalent with the same quality on Ubuntu.

The main difference would be those "mediocre" programs didn't come from a .torrent.

Grand Master

.Neo

Posted
Posted

My only gripe with LibreOffice is that compatibility with MS Office documents is far from perfect. It might be good enough for certain use cases, but not when you use it to write documentation you'll latter handle to your customers.

Of course it probably also lacks several MS Office features, but I haven't missed anything I might have needed.

Then again, even though it'll be nice to have a native office suite I could use, running MS Office on Ubuntu gets the work done perfectly fine. I've been doing that for years.

I don't see any point in installing an OS when I end up using apps from another one through some means of emulation/virtualization. Then I prefer running the OS they're actuall written for. Beyond that it's mainly LibreOffice's presentation software I find unusable. The options, available animations, transitions, special effect, themes etc. or better said the lack of these things just don't get the job done in a way I'd like to present to customers and fellow colleagues. The software comes across as if it walked away from the mid 90s. Same goes for the formatting options in Writer and with no suitable InDesign substitute available the Linux adventure pretty much ends there for me.

Shame really.

Grand Master

ichi

Posted
Posted

I don't see any point in installing an OS when I end up using apps from another one through some means of emulation/virtualization. Then I prefer running the OS they're actuall written for.

If my job was all about using Office all day I might probably be using Windows there, but it isn't.

On the other hand if I used Windows at work (and not even getting into how much I dislike it's window management) I'd have to use stuff like cygwin or reflection, which sucks a lot more than a random use of MS Office on Linux.

Grand Master

Miuku.

Posted
Posted
Same goes for the formatting options in Writer and with no suitable InDesign substitute available the Linux adventure pretty much ends there for me.

For you maybe but for a lot of people it isn't really an issue. I installed AbiWord for my parents a few years back and to this date they still haven't missed any feature Word had.

I've observed people use Office since the late 90s and in fact I rarely ever see people use anything except the most basic features (and this used to be in a company with tens of thousands of users - you can guess which one it was here in Fin).

You might run into issues with specialized software like InDesign or Photoshop but when it comes to your average office work, Linux has been a perfectly working solution for a while now. All it needs is a few competent system admins to build the basis and bang, it'll work till the end of days without issues.

Grand Master

.Neo

Posted
Posted
the Linux adventure pretty much ends there for me.

For you maybe [?]

That's what I said?

If my job was all about using Office all day I might probably be using Windows there, but it isn't.

On the other hand if I used Windows at work (and not even getting into how much I dislike it's window management) I'd have to use stuff like cygwin or reflection, which sucks a lot more than a random use of MS Office on Linux.

I just hate software that doesn't integrate with the OS it runs on. :p

Grand Master

ichi

Posted
Posted

I just hate software that doesn't integrate with the OS it runs on. :p

See, so do I, and that's why I'm running Linux.

Everything I use at home is Linux native*, and at work I have to make compromises: either I run MS Office on Linux once every month or so, or I do the actual bulk of my work using Windows apps that emulate native features of my Linux desktop.

Since I also feel a lot more comfortable on Linux than I do on Windows, the choice is obvious.

*Actually I have an old laptop around running Windows, which I use only to record my guitar. AFAIK there are no Linux drivers for the POD X3, and then (although I haven't really looked into it since the POD issue is a roadblock) there probably also aren't audio apps as polished as Nuendo or Cubase.

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